themanupstairs

Can't ever remember us having a goalkeeper playing it short as much as Elliot did today btw

He was excellent today IMO.

Jonas MOTM simply because I thought we were completely f***ed when Cabaye went off injured. El Galgo put in a stunning performance in the middle of midfield (the only position he can play) that kept us on the front foot for most of the game.

Taylor had one of his best ever games in the shirt and put in the kind of performance that should have seen him called up to the England squad, and a starting place in the next two internationals tbh. He was THAT good.

Mbiwa, Marveaux and Elliot complete the set of players who did very well overall imo. Cisse might have edged in there scoring the excellent winner.

Sissoko, Haidara and Anita were not at their best, but still put in a shift.

Tiote and Santon should take a long look at the video and themselves. Something needs sorting out in their heads.

P.S. This "shooooooooot" business when Tiote has the ball has gone a step too far.

Sod all the above though, what matters is we won!!! When exactly are we allowed to start believing we'll be in Amsterdam on May 15th?

First ever (and only) game for me was our first home game since SBR had passed, the first home game of the championship season. Beat Reading 3-0, Ameobi hattrick. Sat in the lower Gallowgate. Best day of my life.

2 sleeps

47 points:

Marveaux, Sissoko and Cisse ©

Suarez goal and assist

Enrique assist and Bunn clean sheet to round off a decent week.

This guy 

Captain-like performance from him again today. He's been here 5 minutes and he's already telling Santon, Tiote and Taylor what to do all the time.

Needs to start instead of that shithouse Guti.

Big time.

Gutierrez is akin to a closing pitcher in baseball, who could come on to help see out a winning result in the last few minutes. Nothing more at all. Home or away, derby or not, he should not start matches for us when the little gem that is Marveaux is available.

So chuffed for the little man 

Hadn't realized he'd come on. Did jonas go off for him?

Here's to a long and successful career at NUFC 

Absolutely no reason not to play Ben Arfa from the start like. If there's been no reaction to his injury, we should give ourselves the best start possible and bring him off at 60 minutes if he tires. Taking the risk of bringing him on at 0-0 after 70 minutes is madness tbh. The kind of pressure we (and he) don't need at home when 3 points would all but guarantee our safety.

Wish HBA squared the ball back to Cabaye for the one-two. We'd have had an away goal.

Seems to know exactly what will happen in an opposition attack before it happens. A defensive clairvoyant. Defends with such ease, almost without breaking a sweat. That phase of play where he totally shut down an attack down our right side, and won a freekick towards the end of the game. Defeat-avoiding play that was.

Also love how he brings the ball out.

Superb player.

PE Aubameyang would be a good addition to the team in the close season, but I feel we need someone in the Bony mould as an alternative option to Cisse.

Mentioned this in another thread.

 

Ideal time to blood him further in midfield 3 with Tiote & Cabaye. Tiote's physical presence would allow Anita to concentrate on what he does best ie. run/carry & link-up man through the middle third. I think his movement & burst-of-pace would kick-off our transition play through the middle.

 

Well schooled (in pass & move footy) & technically very neat. Good little footballer, sorely undervalued atm. No doubt has his eyes on a big prize too, WC Brazil. But he's not a big physical speciman ala Moussa, and he's not as physical (in attitude) as Perch, and Gutz is being afforded too much loyalty from the manager. He's in a difficult spot imho, which is a pity - good little player. Being a peripheral figure here behind Gutz (with Perch's 'tackle' value often preferred too) doesn't help his chances for inclusion at the business end of the qualy campaign. He deserves clarfication on this front. Understandable if a resquest for a move away eventuates.

Good post

It's absolutely laughable, and bordering on criminal, that a top division side is almost zero threat from set pieces as we are. There is no excuse for it whatsoever. We're forfeiting about 5% of our chances of scoring during a game the way we go about our corners and free kicks.

Point for BR me thinks.

Swansea played football for about 3 minutes and that was it. Utterly shit result for us. Fuck me are they a bunch of diving little nancy boys! Deserved at least a point. Marveaux should have been on to try and create something.

Oh well. Moving on.

The great Shabani Nonda 

bye like

moussa dembele that lethargic flat-footed s*** c*** can f*** right off injuring my captain nolan. 

 

all i can hope for now is a couple of goals from.....kyle walker

 

Why the f*** did you Captain Nolan?

I wasn't sure Rooney would start for Man Utd (and he didn't).

I didn't think Mata would do much against Man City (and he didn't).

I didn't think Walcott would do much against Villa (and he didn't).

I figured Nolan has a good history in derby matches, and that he'd at least score. (and he didn't).

With Michu and Suarez not playing this week, no one else I had was much cop for captain.

Should've captained Sissoko

Parker and his circles man never gets old.

moussa dembele that lethargic flat-footed s*** c*** can f*** right off injuring my captain nolan. 

all i can hope for now is a couple of goals from.....kyle walker

That spurs song is so so so so shit

All you can ask for from a sub keeper is to play solid and make as few mistakes as possible when called upon. Not exactly sure what people expect other than that.

We're not in a position to have 2 top keepers fighting for the number 1 spot. When Harper eventually retires, we'll maybe take a look at Alnwick but our recent links with a young keeper don't bode too well for him.

Elliot more than did his job on Sunday, and I hope he carries that positive performance into the rest of the games he will play.

bump

At a guess, Perch, Ameobi, Jonas and?